This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Travel and Fitness: Burn the fat with a “fitpacking” trip

By Pauline FrommerSpecial to the Star

Fri., March 1, 2013timer4 min. read

Who doesn’t want to lose weight and be more fit? It’s the most common New Year’s resolution, and though many of us will have abandoned those champagne-fueled vows by now, that doesn’t mean that they’re not worth making. Or keeping.

But sometimes, one needs a bit of a kick start to actually adopt a healthy lifestyle. Enter the “Fatpacking” trip, also known by its more polite name “Fitpacking.” An outdoorsy, adventurous alternative to the “fat farm,” these backpacking tours take travelers to some of the most beautiful nature areas in North America for one to two weeks, and do so on such a vigorous itinerary that most participants shed inches and fat pounds without resorting to a traditional diet.

“I used to have a corporate job. I was about 25 pounds overweight then,” recounts Fitpacking founder Steve Silberberg. “I was always into backpacking, and when I went on vacation, I noticed that afterward my clothes fit better and I felt a whole lot better.”

Inspired by his own trips, Silberberg decided to start a company (in 2005) that would take novices backpacking, and help them lose weight in the course of the trip. So each trip starts and ends with a measuring tape and body-fat evaluation (with a body composition monitor).

“If you’re going to claim that people are going to lose weight, I feel it’s important to demonstrate that,” said Silberberg. On average, participants lose several inches and 5 pounds of fat weight in a week (which may be different from their overall weight loss, as many travelers will add muscle weight).

Tours vary greatly, but will usually involve about eight to 10 hours of hiking a day, with each participant carrying roughly 40 pounds on their backs. “Two week trips are better than one, and not just because you’ll lose more weight,” notes Silberberg. “If you’ve never backpacked, it can be a shock to the system putting 40 pounds of weight on your back. By the fourth day, most have overcome that hurdle and are able to enjoy themselves more.” Silberberg coaches participants to start walking regimens before the trip, so that they’ll feel more comfortable once in the wilderness.

That being said, these trips aren’t hard-body competitions; most of the participants are between 25 and 60 pounds overweight, sometimes more, so the group is sympathetic to those who are struggling, and the guides are well-versed in treating blisters and other common problems (all have multiple certifications in wilderness and CPR skills).

All meals are included in the tours (which average $1,000 per week, far less than what most weight-loss spas charge), and they vary day to day. “Our philosophy is that calories are calories, and when you’re carrying 40 pounds a day on your back, you need to give your body enough calories,” said Silberberg.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...

“That doesn’t mean we fill our packs with M&amp;Ms, though. Instead, we take in food that’s lightweight, won’t spoil and is healthy and tasty. So, you might have vegetable stir fry at night, or hummus for lunch. And yes, we do have some desserts after a day on the trail.” He notes that while some people have snuck in extra food through the years, most don’t since it adds extra weight to their packs.

He also stresses that these tours, which don’t yet exist in Canada, aren’t about addressing the psychological roots of weight problems.

“We’re not a ‘Kumbaya’-type outfit,” he laughs. “We don’t sit around the fire complaining that we gained weight because our mothers never loved us. Most people are talking about how awesome the day had been and the beautiful sights they saw. My not-so-secret ambition is to take people to the wilderness who would otherwise not go there, and learn to protect it.

“But we’re not here to indoctrinate people. We’re just helping people have a great time and live more healthy lives.”

JUST THE FACTS

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...

GOING Fitpacking will be offering 23 trips in 2013, the vast majority in the United States (including Canyonlands National Park in Utah, the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Redwoods National Park in California), along with a trip to Israel and Chile. Costs average $1,000 per week, not including transportation to the start of the tour and equipment (which can be rented for a nominal fee). About 45 percent of participants on the tours are returnees, so be sure to book at least four months in advance, because these tours can sell out quickly.

WEB SURFING fitpacking.com

Note to the reader: Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. The information in this column was accurate when it was released, but prices are competitive, sometimes limited and can always change without notice.

Get more travel in your inbox

Get great destination information for your next vacation with our Travel newsletter.

More Life

Top Stories

More from The Star & Partners

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com